The Essential Book of Vegan Bakes

Starred review from May 16, 2022
“If you love desserts and sweet treats, then you’ve come to the right place,” assures Jade, creator of The Little Blog of Vegan, in this splendid debut. Mixing standard vegan ingredients with an indulgent outlook (“Everything tastes better when it’s wrapped in puff pastry,” Jade says of her apricot pinwheels), she puts a clever spin on dozens of classic desserts: decadent chocolate mousse pots come together with just three ingredients, while a mocha swiss roll gets a flavor boost via a pinch of instant coffee. Morsels of enlightening trivia (“Did you know that in Bavaria, Germany, it’s illegal to call a cake a Black Forest cake unless it contains kirsch, a local cherry liqueur?”) abound, as do Jade’s own sugary inventions, including a Winter Wonderland orange and cinnamon cake adorned with gingerbread cookies; honeycomb doughnuts; and no-bake Speculoos spread (gingerbread cookie butter) cheesecake. Readers will delight in the dozens of make ahead tips—“brownies tend to taste fudgier on the second day after making,” she notes next to the chocolate and hazelnut brownies recipe—as well as Jade’s helpful baking advice: for the mocha swiss roll, she recommends letting the filling set in the fridge for 10 minutes if the kitchen feels too warm. Vegans looking to sweeten up their repertoire should start here.

September 2, 2022
Jade's first collection of plant-based desserts features recipes adapted from her blog, The Little Blog of Vegan, as well as new ones, ranging from cakes, muffins, donuts, and oat bars to cheesecakes, pastries, and buns. Gray marbled backgrounds allow both brightly hued and minimalist cakes to jump off the page. The decadent and involved showstopper cakes--red velvet, speculoos Neapolitan--and the photogenic cookies and cream macarons will beckon detail-oriented bakers looking to wow guests with a postprandial pi�ce de r�sistance, while pecan cookies, strawberry cupcakes, and double chocolate banana bread will bring the hurried weeknight baker to the mixing bowl. Many of Jade's Instagram-ready recipes rely on vegan butter, margarine, and cream cheese to give them that polished-frosting look. This starter guide to vegan baking presents options from the afternoon snack to the celebratory, and makes a fine choice for bakers of all diet backgrounds--especially those looking to impress non-vegans with taste and presentation.

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